Living in the East

My name is Letícia, I am a Brazilian AFS exchange student in Iceland and I just turned sixteen years old. My journey with AFS started back in Brazil, when I decided to get in touch with former exchange students and people from abroad to talk about this type of experiences. Doing so made me very interested in going on a crazy adventure like the exchange program is. Ever since the beginning, AFS has always been there for me, supporting me through the good and more difficult moments.

At the moment, I am living in Eskifjörður, a small town in the east of Iceland. Living here has been quite a rollercoaster, but besides all the ups and downs, I can see how living in the Icelandic countryside gave me beautiful opportunities to find myself in ways that I believe would not have been possible in a big city. I have met a lot of new people, some of whom I can now call friends for life, and I have created a bond with my two amazing host families. An AFS exchange year is all about getting out of your comfort zone, and I believe I have done exactly that. I have left my city, Rio de Janeiro, my family and my friends, to come to little Iceland. All this made me, I believe, a better person. I believe that each day spent in Iceland made me grow a little.

An exchange year is not just pink, glitters and happiness. Sometimes, it can get very difficult, but that’s exactly why it is so special. If you could tell you one thing, it would be to enjoy every moments and opportunities, because it will mark you life forever, just as it has marked mine.